The Choice of Perseus Jackson
by TheDarkKnight1991
Summary: <html><head></head>Set during TBotL, when Percy returns from Calypso's island. Percy has to choose the love of his life, and if he chooses the wrong one, then it would mean the destruction of the world. For forever and a day. Rated T just in case, wanna be on the safe side of things!</html>
1. Choices, choices, and yet more choices

**(A/N- My first fanfic, everyone, could you guys be a little patient? I welcome constructive criticism, though, and I would really welcome it. Also, PM me to let me know who poor Percy has to choose!)**

Percy was asleep. And by asleep, I mean he was knocked out cold on his bunk in Cabin 3. He was having a dream….

~oOo~

_Annabeth was standing before him, on the beach where they usually held their July celebrations. The sky was a clear blue, and the sea looked like a sheet of smooth glass. She was wearing an orange camp shirt, and blue denim jeans. She was barefoot in the sand, and had her hair pulled back into a ponytail tucked under her blue NY Yankees cap. She looked… beautiful._

'_Hey, it's a miracle, Seaweed Brain! You actually seem to be thinking for once!' Percy snapped out of his reverie and smiled sheepishly. 'So what were you thinking about?' 'Nothing much.' He replied. He felt a blush creep up his cheeks, and stared at his toes. Annabeth laughed, and grabbed his hand. 'Come on, the others are waiting for us! Last one to the water is a boring old Seaweed Brain!' Percy chuckled, and raced after Annabeth._

_Suddenly, the world went black, as though someone had taken a water balloon filled with ink and thrown it in Percy's face, the ink seeping across his vision. 'Wait, what?' He started panicking and breathing heavily. Annabeth stood in front of him, and she looked… different. She was wearing an Ancient Greek chiton and her blonde hair was pulled back in a braid reaching her waist. Her normally stormy gray eyes seemed calm for once, at peace. As though she wasn't ADHD anymore. She was… Alluring. But then, she split into three, with two other women stepping out of her as though they had been hiding behind her the whole time._

_To Annabeth's right was-Percy inhaled sharply-Calypso, his biggest what if. Her light brown hair framed her heart shaped face and soft, almond coloured her right was-Percy felt a little shaky- Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Her mane of red hair, curled into ringlets, cascaded down her back. Her green eyes stared at him intensely._

_All three of them were dressed identically, and all three of them looked very, very beautiful. Percy felt his stomach becoming a mosh pit filled with butterflies, his heart hammer against his chest and his cheeks catching fire. 'What in the name of Poseidon is happening?' He muttered to himself. Only the four of them were in existence, so it seemed. The rest of the world was an inky darkness he had only ever seen before in the Underworld, but this darkness was almost solid, pressing against him, liquid and malleable._

_Suddenly, a thick, green toxic mist started curling itself around the girls' feet, and slowly started wrapping itself around them. Their eyes, for some reason, glowed radiation green. 'Either this is some weird comic book, or I'm dreaming.' Percy mumbled. 'Wait a second', he thought. 'Isn't that the gross stuff that comes out of the Oracle's mouth?' He felt scared all of a sudden, wondering whether the oracle had hijacked his mind to give him a message via three girls whom he really…. cared about. That sounded insane, and considering what he had been through so far, that was quite an achievement._

_The three started speaking in synchronized tones, their faces emitting a green glow and their voices sounding as though they were being filtered by a sound processor or something. 'Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea, it is finally time to choose. The fates have decided to intervene, or else they foretell great destruction on an unprecedented scale. So choose.' Percy replied,' Who are you? Why are the fates interested in who I date? This is stupid, you know. I mean, unprecedented damage- 'You do not believe us? Let us show you what your choice shall imply.' They replied._

_Annabeth opened her eyes a little wider, and inside Percy saw visions of them walking together, chatting, kissing and living happily ever after in Camp Half-Blood. Kronos was defeated, and he and Annabeth ran the camp together alongside Chiron and Mr.D. But he saw Ogygia, the island of his dreams, a burned out, shallow husk. Calypso was dead. The entire wild had been destroyed, and Rachel was in prison for campaigning against her father for destroying the wild. He gulped, his cheeks warming._

_Rachel opened her eyes widely, and inside Percy saw visions of them together in Ney York. Raising kids. Campaigning against deforestation. Running her father's company together. Living happily ever after. Ogygia was still destroyed, and Camp Half-Blood was a shadow of it's former self. Annabeth was kissing someone else… Percy shook as though he was dying, the pain of watching them seared into his mind._

_Calypso opened her eyes widely, too, and inside Percy saw visions of spending an eternity with her on Ogygia, immortal for all time. Feeding birds in the morning, taking walks on a sunny beach holding hands, gardening, and an eternity to spend together. Happily ever after. But on the other hand, the entire mortal world was destroyed, with only little pockets of humanity left. Percy knew his retreat to Ogygia would cause it. He knew it._

'_So choose, Perseus Jackson. And choose wisely, and choose well. For if you make the wrong choice, it will entail Death and Destruction. We are sure Thanatos, Phobos and Deimos would be happy to ravage your world, unleashed on your life by one wrong decision. Choose, young hero, choose.'_

_Percy collapsed to his knees, his head in his hands. He was shaking hard. And everything faded into blinding whiteness, scorching his eyes._

~oOo~

Percy woke up, drenched in sweat and breathing hard. He felt as though an entire Laystrigonian football team in studs had trampled him all over. All day.

'So it wasn't just a dream.' He murmured. 'I have to choose between three awesome people I know well and break two of their hearts.' For even he was not so stupid to not notice that all of them liked him.

Silent tears traced their way down his cheeks as he thought about his decision. 'I have to find Annabeth and tell her, fast.' Percy raced out of the cabin in a weird mixture of armour and pajamas, eager to leave the place of his nightmares behind.

**(A/N)** **So, did everyone like it? Please review, guys! And no flames, please! Sorry for the tiny cliffhanger, tho :D Not really. Also I'll try and update by this weekend, I'm really busy with school projects and reading the new Blood of Olympus book which I preordered (beat that, peasants! Muahahahah!) Thanks everyone!**

**Cheers,**

**TheDarkKnight**


	2. Death, Love, Loss or Depression?

**(A/N) I'm back, everyone! I'm sooo excited for the new book, it's finally been released, and I can't wait to get my hands on it! And thanks for the favs and the follows, guys, it means a lot to me! Any constructive criticism, anyone? Pwetty pwease? Cheers!) And oops, I forgot to do the disclaimer for the previous chapter AND this one, so here goes:**

**Disclaimer: I am not the King of Trolls. I am not Rick Riordan. Ergo, I DO NOT own anything except for the plot. And this goes for the prev. chapter too. Cheerio!**

**Previously:**

_Silent tears traced their way down his cheeks as he thought about his decision. 'I have to find Annabeth and tell her, fast.' Percy raced out of the cabin in a weird mixture of armour and pajamas, eager to leave the place of his nightmares behind._

~oOo~

Percy jogged over to the Athena cabin, panting hard. On the way he passed satyrs chasing dryads, campers fighting ancient sea monsters in the canoe lake, the Ares cabin judo flipping anyone in sight, new campers straggling over the property line in various states of deterioration. The usual.

Percy stopped right in front of the cabin doors, and knocked as hard as he dared. He knew for a fact that waking up drowsy Athena kids in the morning after a long night of studying did not bode well at all for the person doing the knocking. Nobody came to the door. Percy sighed, and walked to the Big House. He sat down on front porch and thought about his strange dream_. 'Choose well, Perseus Jackson. Choose well.' _These words would haunt for a long, long time.

Annabeth spotted Percy sitting on the porch and walked over to him, smiling. 'So what's up, Seaweed Brain?' Percy looked up at Annabeth. She frowned. Percy looked terrible, he had bags under his eyes and his hair was sticking up all over the place. And why was he in his Capture-The-Flag armour? Typical Percy Jackson. Even then, she felt her heart doing a few jumping jacks at the sight of him.

Percy said,' I had a… weird dream, Annabeth. I hoped you could help me. 'Sure, Percy. What's the matter?' Percy opened his mouth to tell her about the dream, then caught himself. Annabeth frowned. 'You can tell me, Kelp Head. What's wrong?' She sat beside him and stared intensely at his face. Percy blushed at the intensity of her gaze.

'Annabeth, I kinda had this weird dream about the Oracle…' he trailed off, unsure of what to say. Suddenly, he found himself unwilling to tell Annabeth that three girls including her had appeared in his dreams. Three girls, including Annabeth, whom he really… cared about. A lot.

Annabeth nudged him, and Percy found himself pouring out the entire story, everything in his dream. As he spoke about Calypso and Rachel, he thought he could see her grey eyes harden, and her face gradually turn into a mask of cold, unforgiving stone. However, that mask broke for a second when he talked about their future together, but she put it back on after listening to him talk about the other two. _Calypso. Rachel. All the damn girls in Camp Half-Blood._ Annabeth was not a child of Aphrodite, but even she knew that all the girls thought that Percy was the hottest guy in camp.

She knew that the Aphrodite cabin girls giggled amongst themselves whenever he passed by, and how some of the girls from other cabins stared at their shoes when he was nearby, a faint blush creeping up their cheeks. _Disgusting. _

After Percy finished, he looked at Annabeth for a second, and quickly looked down at his shoes. She had a far-away look in her eyes, as though she wasn't really here. 'Annabeth? Hello? This is Houston, is everything all right up there?' Annabeth snapped out of her fantasy of strangling all the girls in camp and hugging Percy. She looked at him, her eyes smoldering. She grabbed his hand, and growled at Percy,' Chiron needs to know about this. He'll know what to do.' Percy looked at Annabeth and pleaded,' Um,I kinda didn't want Chiron to know, you see. I thought that maybe we could keep this between us?'

Annabeth did not respond, and instead dragged him over to the dining pavilion. Percy felt himself redden at Annabeth's touch, and let himself be taken to the pavilion.

~oOo~

Annabeth and Percy stood in front of Chiron in the Big House. He had not wanted any eavesdropping campers nearby, so he had slung them over his back and taken them back to the House.

He was slowly stroking his beard, deep in thought. 'Did this…. Oracle give any deadline of sorts, Percy? Any date by which you have to choose?' Annabeth stiffened at the word _choose. _'N-no, she didn't, Chiron.' Chiron glanced at the fuming Annabeth, and the embarrassed Percy and understood at once. 'We shall talk of this later, my boy, right now you need to get ready to back in the Labyrinth.' Percy replied, 'But Chiron, what if this deadline passes in the maze, and what if I die or something? I don't know what will happen if I don't choose at all…' Percy trailed off, a new, sad thought entering his mind. 'Don't choose at all.' He murmured. Annabeth looked at him, staring at his sea green eyes. 'Really , Seaweed brain?' That was all she said before stalking off to her cabin.

Percy thought he could see her shaking slightly. His shoulders drooped. Chiron gazed at him sadly. He said, 'Alright, Percy, I think it would be for the best if you stayed at camp for the moment, at least until you make your decision. Meanwhile, I'll send someone else to take yours and Annabeth's place. Understood?' Percy replied, 'Thanks, Chiron. But who should I choose? I know that if I choose any one person the cost will be great for the other two. But I can't let anybody die! Chiron, please!'

Chiron looked at him carefully. 'There are two ways that can ensure everybody's safety. Number one: You die, Percy. I have studied Japanese texts and traditions, Percy. An honourable way to die would be seppuku, or ritual disembowelling.' Percy looked up at him, shocked. 'You mean stick Riptide in my guts? My own sword?' Chiron replied softly, 'Yes, Percy. Your own weapon must be your undoing. As I have told you, this blade has a long and tragic history we need not go through. It is a cursed blade.'

Percy uncapped Riptide, and stared at it. The worn handle that fit perfectly in his hands. The name _Anaklusmos_ engraved in the blade. The shining bronze metal. Percy could not imagine sticking his own weapon inside his guts.

Chiron said, 'There is, of course, the other way. That you forsake their love. You will be valuable in the coming war, Percy, and loosing you would be hard on all of us. I also sense that you could potentially change the tide of victory in our favour. Choose wisely, Percy. Choose well.'

Percy shuddered at the memory of his dream. _Choose wisely. Choose wisely. _Percy let out a feral scream, and ran into the woods. Chiron gazed after him, a sad look in his three thousand year old eyes. He walked back into the Big House.

~oOo~

Annabeth appeared out of thin air, next to the porch, her Yankees cap of invisibility clutched tightly in her hands. There was only one way that Percy could make his decision. She would call Rachel and summon Calypso. Her eyes became glassy as she thought about him.

_Percy._

**(A/N) So, did y'all like it? I apologise (NOT!) for the next cliffhanger, but I've learnt from the King of Trolls himself, so I don't really care anyways. Muahahaah! So what should Percy choose? PM me your suggestions!**


	3. The Madness of Love

**(A/N)EEEEEEEEEK! Like just two seconds ago I got my hands on The Blood of Olympus! The world is fair! Thank you, Mr. King of Trolls! However, I'm sad that this is the LAST book in the series. Bwahahaha. On that note: another update! I wanna say thanks to JilySoulmate's for being the first reviewer and supporter of my work. Thanks Jily! Thank you for taking the time to express your views on my story! (A/N)**

**Disclaimer: Me: Percy, do the disclaimer, will you? Or do you want me to have your memory erased AGAIN?**

**Percy: *grumble* *grumble* fine, TheDarkKnight does NOT own anything 'cept for the plot.**

**Previously:**

_Annabeth appeared out of thin air, next to the porch, her Yankees cap of invisibility clutched tightly in her hands. There was only one way that Percy could make his decision. She would call Rachel and summon Calypso. Her eyes became glassy as she thought about him._

_Percy._

~oOo~

Rachel was lying down on her massive king sized bed, sinking into the soft satin sheets. She looked up at the ceiling and thought about her massive crush on Percy. She felt all light and floaty when he was around, and felt herself redden whenever he called her name.

Pale sunlight washed through the floor-to-ceiling windows and pooled on the bed, spotlighting Rachel's prone form. Her mane of red hair glowed, her hair like a shining halo around her head.

She sighed, breathing hard through her nostrils. _Annabeth_. With her in the way, she was sure that she would be buried deep, like fifty feet in the ground, in the Friend Zone around Percy. Annabeth was attractive, smart, best friends with Percy and worst of all, she had something that Rachel could never have. _Two_ things to be precise. One: She had a long, long history with Percy, ever since they were twelve, apparently. And Two: She was a demigod.

Rachel was just a mere _mortal_, according to Annabeth. She said mortal as though it were a terrible affliction. Rachel did not _belong_ in Percy's world, that was the problem. A world where Greek Mythology came alive, literally. A world of Gods, demigods, monsters, heroes and legends. _Percy's world._

Rachel's battered old cellphone buzzed, indicating a text. She had refused all the brand new smartphones her father had offered, she had not wanted to stick out like a sore thumb amongst her group of friends who possessed old Nokia's crafted in the stone age.

She flipped open the phone and thumbed her way to her received texts. The text was from… Annabeth. The phone slipped from her hands, she was frozen in shock. Realizing her mistake, she desperately fumbled for the phone in mid-air and somehow caught it before it was smashed on the carpeted floor. She stared at the screen and read the message.

_From: Miss Know it All (Received: 4:00 PM)_

_We need to talk. About Percy._

Rachel shuddered. She knew that when it came to matters such as these, Annabeth was not to be underestimated. Ever.

~oOo~

Calypso was walking barefoot on the beach, her feet sinking in the bed of sand. Light sea spray misted her feet, and her hair was let loose for once, flying in the wind. She would have felt carefree and light hearted, had it not been for one boy to ruin her mood. _The handsome Percy Jackson._

He had left her reluctantly, to be sure, but had left all the same. She had felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces when he left. Something insider her had shriveled up and died. Never again. But it WOULD happen again. The exact same thing, over and over again, and she would be left expecting shit to change. The very definition of insanity. Maybe some part of Calypso _was_ insane, torn apart by the repeated heart breaks.

She quietly sobbed, and lay down in the sand, looking up at the red-orange sky. Percy had been the perfect gentleman. He had been even better than Odysseus, for Zeus's sake. Perhaps that was another aspect of her curse. To be given progressively better heroes, and have each of them stomp on her heart, shred the pieces and burn the leftovers.

Calypso chuckled quietly, fantasizing about kissing Percy with Annabeth dying beside them, blood leaking from her prone body. With Percy being utterly oblivious to Annabeth, and giving his undivided attention to _her_. His sea green eyes looking at _her_, and not anybody else. Because even when he had stayed with Calypso, she had had a horrible, stinking suspicion that he had been imaging _Annabeth_ in her place, and not herself.

Her quiet chuckles grew slightly louder. _Annabeth was dying, her head smashed in. Percy was running towards Calypso, who was standing behind Annabeth's broken form on the ground. Calypso had a dazzling smile on her face that would have driven any other man crazy and begging at her feet. But wait, what was this? Percy had just stopped short of Calypso, and had seen Annabeth's broken form. Now he was oblivious to Calypso, his entire focus, every particle of his being paying attention to Annabeth. He cradled her head in his arms, quietly sobbing her name. At that moment, Calypso felt herself break. _

She opened her eyes and let out a wild, animalistic shriek. A flock of birds flew away from the beach, disturbed by the noise. Her chest was heaving, and she felt tears make their way down her face, pooling by her neck.

Suddenly, she felt a shimmering in the air beside her_. An Iris message? Impossible_. The goddess had special instructions from Zeus himself, prohibiting any such attempt at communication to Ogygia. She sat up straight, and wiped all traces of her tears, just in case it was an Iris message. _From Percy_.

It was as though Calypso was staring into another dimension altogether. In the background, she could make out sounds of screaming demigods and howling monsters. What is this?

And then Annabeth came into view. Calypso knew this was Annabeth, Percy had provided an accurate description of her while mumbling in his sleep. She grudgingly admitted that she was gorgeous, and her blonde, curled hair and stormy grey eyes rivalled her own looks.

Suddenly, she could see why Percy had left her for Annabeth. At this thought she felt herself stiffen. She became hard to the core, a solid, unforgiving sheet of impenetrable rock. She was as cold as Khione, in looks and manner.

Annabeth spoke, and Calypso noticed her own grey eyes had hardened at the sight of herself. _Perfect, this just proves that she likes Percy. _

'Queen Calypso?' Annabeth said. Calypso gave a small nod of approval at the girl's greeting, she was indeed the Queen of the Nymphs, 'We need to talk. It's about P-Percy. He… has to make a decision, and it requires your attendance.' Calypso blinked in disbelief. She replied, 'You imply that the gods are finally setting me free from my curse? From Ogygia?' She gestured behind her, her arm encompassing the view behind her.

Annabeth replied, 'Yes, the gods have seen fit to r-release you from your prison, in light of a new prophecy concerning P-Percy. It would be best if we spoke about this matter in person. Lord Hermes shall be escorting you to Camp Half-Blood any minute now. Good bye.' Before Calypso could say anything, Annabeth swiped her hand through the mist, breaking the connection. She could have sworn she could see tears glistening on Annabeth's cheek.

Suddenly, she did not feel so vicious towards the poor girl.

She turned around and faced her former home. _Leave Ogygia? Her home?_ As much as she disliked the curse, she had come to love the quiet, calm days spent idly here. It had been a relief, and had given her plenty of time for some soul-searching. But no, she was not too upset to leave, she had looked forward to this moment for a long time. She smiled as she saw a man walk over the waves towards her. _Hermes, come to take me to my love Percy._

~oOo~

Annabeth sank to the floor, shaking uncontrollably on front of Chiron. It had hurt her more than she would have cared to admit, contacting a girl who was in love with Percy to come and talk to him. _My Percy._

Still, she was not so dense to not notice why Percy had been reluctant to leave the island, or mention it at all to herself. Calypos was, simply put, drop-dead gorgeous. She was sure that any man would have been willing to kill to date her. She was the stuff of legends, the immortal Queen of Nymphs, the beautiful Calypso, with looks to rival Lady Aphrodite.

She felt much warmer towards Percy. _He was willing to leave Ogygia? For me? _She knew that it was not only herself, but everything else, such as the prophecy, the war, his family.

But she was sure that Percy had also left Calypso for herself. Annabeth felt elated, as though someone had injected her with helium. For the first time in a few months, she felt completely, utterly happy. She was at peace with the world, for the moment.

**(A/N Alright, so did y'all like it? Now I'm gonna quickly upload this and dash over to my copy of Blood of Olympus.(BWAHAHAHA! PEASANTS!) And don't forget to review please! Oh and I'm only gonna update if I manage to hit 5 reviews, so could you please spare a few seconds of your life to critique my work and provide valuable feedback? Thanks for you generosity! OH and did anyone at all get the Far Cry 3 reference? Anyone?(A/N)**


	4. Calypso blows up Camp Half Blood!

**(A/N) Sooo… I've finished reading the Blood of Olympus. It was great, of course, but…. I mean, we waited for 1 year, and I was just expecting a bit more…. But it DOESN'T MATTER, 'CAUSE THE BOOK STILL FRICKIN' ROCKS! AWESOME! Anyways, I wanna say thanks to ALL of my reviewers so far, thank you all SO much for the support. You guys are the reason I'm still writing this story, ya know. Once again, thank you so much! And I've got a few surprises in store for Percy…MUAHAHAAH! *Evil grin* Just wait and watch! (A/N)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned these characters, Percy would be making out with Annabeth RIGHT NOW and not have gone through Tartarus. So what does this mean? I DO NOT own PJO. Unfortunately. Bwahahahha. D:**

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan is not me. I'm not him. So? This means that I DO NOT own any of the characters in PJO. In fact, I don't own anything PJO-related (except for the plot). Also, this disclaimer is also meant for any future chapters in this story, just in case I forget to write the disclaimer again.**

~oOo~

Percy had been wandering the forests around the Camp for hours now. His stomach was rumbling loud enough to attract monsters, his throat was parched and he felt slightly dizzy. Even so, he was a force to be reckoned with. Any poor monster unlucky enough to face him received a nice, shiny bronze blade right in their slimy guts.

But Percy knew he could not go on for much longer. He was lost, tired and hungry. He could not find any edible food or drinkable water, no matter how far and wide he searched. But he tried. He kept on trying.

While he was absentmindedly killing a couple of monsters he thought about his choice. _Calypso. Rachel. Annabeth_. Calypso was in love with him, and if he was honest with himself, a large part of him returned those feelings. He missed the days spent idly on Ogygia, holding hands with Calypso on a moonlit beach. Rachel quite obviously crushed on him hard, as kindly pointed out by Beckendorf several times. She and Annabeth fought each other tooth and nail all the time, and he could have sworn that he had caught her blushing faintly a couple of times while he talked to her. And somewhere along the line Percy found himself returning those feelings. Annabeth had made it clear that she liked him too, as evidenced by her reaction to the situation.

And he discovered that he liked Annabeth a LOT. In fact, he had had a secret crush on her since they were twelve, ever since they had first met and had gone on that crazy quest to get Zeus's lightning bolt back. He started thinking about the great times he had had with all of them.

Annabeth and he sharing secrets in that old Zoo truck heading to Las Vegas. "Hanging out" with Rachel in Central Park, and chatting with Calypso on Ogygia.

Now most guys would have received a massive boost to their egos on learning that three awesome girls like them, but not Percy. He was simultaneously happy, sad, honoured, depressed, crushed, embarrassed, on top of the world, on cloud nine, and downright terrified. He reflected on his happy times spent oblivious of their crushes, when he could have hung out with any of them without getting the stink eye from the other two, but now he felt like he would be treading on thin ice if he managed to pull of such a move at all.

He guessed that for the big decision Calypso would be freed from her curse, and while he was happy that she would finally get the freedom she wanted, he was not sure that Rachel and Annabeth would welcome her with open arms.

He knew that if he chose one, and only one person to be his significant other, he would be under a lot of pressure from the other two. That might have not been altogether fair to him, but he thought about how HE would feel if he, along with two other guys, crushed on Annabeth or Rachel or Calypso and said person liked ALL three of them at once.

In that situation, he would have almost gladly beaten his competitors to death in a match of pankration. With his bare hands.

He shuddered at the thought. For one, he was horrified how the girls had managed to bring out this side of him, and on the other hand he knew that he could have actually accomplished the task. Which was not pleasant to contemplate.

Percy had to make a decision. He quickly lopped of the heads of the gang of monsters he had been fighting and sat down on a rock, thinking. Thinking and thinking and thinking. Thinking into oblivion…..

~oOo~

Rachel was pacing back and forth in front of the dining pavilion, nervously shaking her head. Her curls bounced on her shoulders, flopping up and down. Quite a few campers had gathered around her in a loose semi-circle, watching her with a kind of fascination, with a few male campers hoping to catch her eyes.

Suddenly, the air sharpened. Something was wrong, and everybody felt it. It was in their blood, the way animals sense earthquakes before they happened. Everyone felt a metallic taste on their tongues. Eyes widened as everyone realized what was happening. 'GET CLEAR! GET CLEAR NOW!' somebody yelled, but it was too late. Campers dived aside as the air was rent in two and the pavilion exploded into a billion shards of marble flying at terminal velocity.

Everyone yelled as they were flung back by the explosion, may going limp as ragdolls in mid-air. Rachel was lying on the ground, face-down, ten feet away from the crash site.

There was a five foot wide crater lined with jagged black soil, ringing the two feet deep hole. Pale wisps of smoke curled off the crater, filling the air. In the crater stood two people. One was a ten foot tall tanned guy in a black and grey U.S Air Force uniform, and sported two thick leather boots with wings attached to the sides. The other was a breathtakingly beautiful Ancient Greek teenager in a chiton, with her head piled high in a classic Greek hairdo. The girl gave a small, timid smile and said, 'We come… in peace?'

The camp exploded, everyone looking for any weapons they could find and aim at the new arrivals. Hermes's victorious grin and Calypso's winning smile melted right of their faces as they realized they were facing twenty giant crossbows, aimed right at their faces. Everyone had somehow slipped into their armour and were now aiming their swords and guns at the guests.

A little kid in an oversize helmet was waving a huge Mossberg 500 pump action shotgun, refitted to fire celestial bronze. Hermes backed right up when he saw a lethal ten year old under his nose. He knew just how much damage one of those could do, and to heck with the fact that he was an immortal Olympian. Those things were deadly.

'Talk.' Clarrise grunted. 'Um, yeah, so it's kinda a long story,' Hermes said, 'It all started with a decision that had to be taken. One choice that could make or break the world as we know it… It's gonna take a while, so why don't you guys take those guns off our faces and sit down and listen, like _civilized_ demigods.' One Athena guy muttered 'oxymoron' under his breath, only to get nudged in the stomach by a sibling. 'Why don't you shut and listen?' she hissed. 'Alright, alright. No need to throw a hissy fit.' She glared at him one last time and sat down to listen to the unbelievable stuff the god was spouting. And it was NOT good news, for any of them.

**(A/N) I'm sooo sorry, everyone, for the long delay. As I said, I'm really busy with school work and stuff, so I won't be able to update everyday. Oh and um SHOUTOUTS!**

**JilySoulmate's- Thanks! Though frankly I wasn't prepared for the end D:**

** **musicforlife**- hahahaha! Thanks for the complement, but I may not do percabeth in this one. While normally I'm a rabid percabeth defender, I've decided to do something different this time around. Sowwy! (not really!)**

**Snow Wolfe6631- Thanks bro/sis, for the support! Thanks for taking the time to write a long(ish) review! You just wait and see, there is gonnna be a big surprise for all of you, and I might just get a lotta hate PM's for it. BWAHAHAAH!**

**YGBigBang2ne1****- Keep on guessing, my friend!**

**So that's it for today, and expect an update by um let's see, Wednesday(ish)? And by Wednesday I mean Indian Standard Time Wednesday, 'cause I'm Indian.**

**Lemme know what you think of this story please! And once again, thanks for the support guys, it means a lot to me! (A/N)**


	5. Mr Jackson seeks Thanatos

**(A/N) Oh my gods guys, I'm sooo sorry that I haven't been able to update, I have had a whole load of work to do, and I'm frantic. I promise I'll update faster from now on. Oh, and one thing- this story has only one more chapter to go. I'm sorry guys, but that's the way I've planned it. But don't worry, I'll be uploading more stories :D But no sequel for this story, I'm afraid. The ending doesn't really leave any scope for a sequel. Awwwwww….. Ah well. See ya tomorrow! (Probably) (A/N)**

**Disclaimer: Is Rick Riordan a thirteen year old boy and a fan of his own work? No? So, I=Me no own PJO and me very very sad that me no own it. BWAHAHAAHA.**

~oOo~

Percy stood at the edge of the tree line of the forest. He surveyed his beloved camp. He recalled the years of quests, all the fun and games, all the times he had nearly died at the hands of a weird assortment of monsters and gods and pretty much everything in the world of Greek mythology. Only the "myths" were all real, weren't they?

He sat down on the grass, savouring the warmth of the sunshine and the strawberry scented air. He took deep breaths and closed his eyes. He ran his hands through the warm mud, feeling the texture, feeling the life throbbing in the earth. He felt sad as he realized that he had never properly appreciated his home, his sanctuary, the place that had taken in him when all hope had been lost. Elpis had almost abandoned him, hadn't it?

He remembered the first time he had seen Annabeth, her stormy grey eyes taking him apart like a machine and analysing his very core. He smiled as he thought how Annabeth had told him that he drooled in his sleep_. What an awesome way to start an enduring friendship._

He remembered the first time he had seen Rachel, at the Dam. She had saved him from a bunch of supernatural Terminators in flesh and bone using her epic verbal freight train skills. He chuckled as he recalled how he had almost killed her using Riptide, and how he had tried to convince her that it was just an oversized toothpick.

He thought about the time he had seen Calypso for the first time. Gods of Olympus, he had been in terrible shape back then. He had been embarrassed to show his weak, scrawny self to her. She had spent days comforting him, nursing him back to health and he had repaid the favour by abandoning her.

Some days he wanted to really smack Aphrodite upside her godly head for messing up his life so much. _Is this what she meant by saying she wanted to complicate my love life?_ That visit in the desert had had terrible timing, and had really exposed his feelings in a way that terrified him. His thoughts had stayed jumbled for the rest of the quest, putting him in serious danger while monsters tried using him as their personal punching bag.

Percy stood up and brushed of the dirt and leaves from his jeans. He had made his decision. He prayed to his father that he had made the right choice.

~oOo~

As Hermes finished telling his tale, Calypso shifted uncomfortably on her feet. She was the subject of the entire camp's gaze, and she couldn't make out their intentions. ALL of the boys were trying to catch her eye, flexing their muscles and winking and smiling at her. She turned away, disgusted. She couldn't bear living here with half the camp flirting with her and trying to win her heart.

Ninety percent of the girls were giving her the death glare. If looks could kill, she would be lying on the ground with fifty spears stuck inside her. She was familiar with the glares. She had received enough of them back when she was not a prisoner of the curse, back when she was free. Most girls used to avoid her like the plague, and if they had their boyfriends or husbands with them, they would have to literally chain them with celestial bronze to themselves. Even then girls would gladly have killed her if she had not been the daughter of a Titan.

She gulped nervously. She was not sure that the name of Atlas held much weight in this camp. She felt sure that the Aphrodite spawn would happily bury their blades in her while she slept. Their looks were proof enough of that.

And lastly, Rachel and Annabeth. Her… competitors. She had been right in her assumption that Annabeth was gorgeous. Rachel, surprisingly, was also just as pretty as Annabeth, in her own way.

And both of them seemed to be united against her, presenting a common front. They seemed to think that Percy would choose _her_ and forget them if he saw her. She shuddered. Annabeth, it seemed, was not someone she wanted for an enemy. Her cold grey eyes seemed to be calculating the best way to kill her, in the most painful way possible. She sensed, though, that in different circumstances Annabeth would be a great friend.

Rachel's green eyes stormed and flashed at her. She would not bother using complicated tactics or strategies. She would face her head on and smack her with the big blue plastic hairbrush poking from her jeans pocket. In her own way, she was just as dangerous as Annabeth. Calypso felt that she, too, would have been a great friend to her. In a different time and a different place, perhaps.

She knew that both of them felt that she was the greatest threat to their chances with Percy, and they knew that she knew it too. Annabeth smiled at her, a chilling smile that reminded Calypso of an empousai she had once seen before it tore its victim to shreds, like a wood chipper tearing at wood.

She shuddered.

~oOo~

Annabeth felt like growling and snapping at somebody, _anybody, _she just wanted to take her anger out on someone. She had already gutted all the practise dummies in the arena, so that was not an option.

More than anything else, she wanted to slap the smug smile off the face of the "magical" Queen of Nymphs standing before her. Even Aphrodite could not match her looks, but she knew that if she voiced that thought she would probably be blasted into Tartarus.

But what was so _infuriating_ was that Calypso looked so perfect that she _knew_ that Percy would choose her. Her normally calm mind was thrown into utter chaos at the sight of her. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind she knew that this was all irrational jealousy, but she couldn't bring herself to acknowledge that buried bit of her mind.

She started as Chiron's voice rang out across the clearing. ,'Very well, Lord Hermes and Lady Calypso. Perhaps we should adjourn to the amphitheatre and consider further action while awaiting Perseus Jackson's presence. I shall now contact him and request his attendance at the theatre.'

Annabeth was amused to hear Chiron speak in such an old fashioned manner, but maybe it was appropriate considering the fact that he was addressing two gods. Rachel walked beside her as the group walked en masse to the theatre. She was muttering, her head bent as she stared at her shoes. Annabeth said, 'Hey, Rachel. I know this is hard for you, but maybe we should have a truce and just accept Percy's choice, whomever he chooses. What do you say?'

Rachel hesitated for a minute before replying, 'Maybe your right, ya know? It won't do us any good crying over spilt nectar, and maybe we should just accept his decision and… move on.'

Annabeth nodded and stuck out her hand. 'Friends?' she asked. Rachel replied, 'Forever.' They smiled at each other and walked to the theatre, marginally more cheerfully. Calypso observed their exchange silently. She knew that this did not bode well for her.

~oOo~

Percy slowly walked into camp. He wanted to feel the leaves crunch under his feet, he wanted to see the sky and savour it all before he made his choice. He felt puzzled when he couldn't see anybody. _Where have all of them gone? _

He could hear faint sounds coming from the direction of the amphitheatre. _Why would the whole camp be there? _He walked into the theatre, and heard a faint gasp echo through the clearing. Everyone's eyes were on him, watching his every move. He spotted Chiron standing silently in the shadows cast by the stands.

He cleared his throat. He could vaguely make out Annabeth, Rachel and Calypso sitting in the front row. He felt a lump rise in his throat. Suddenly, he found it hard to speak. He choked on his words, but he somehow managed to speak, 'Lord Hermes, Chiron, and my friends. I….I've made my decision. I-I've chosen to die…..'

He petered off, unsure of what to say. The whole camp was stunned into silence as the full meaning of his words sunk in. Then the murmuring began.

Someone shouted, 'PERCY! NO!' He backed up a little, feeling scared. All three girls looked as though their world had fallen apart. Then they ran towards him, vaulting the barrier. They looked desperate, desperate enough to fight him until he took his words back. Hermes just sat there, looking stunned.

Annabeth's eyes were glassy, tears streaking their way down her cheeks. Rachel had a determined fire in her eyes. She would not, she could not, let him go. Calypso looked shattered, her eyes glinting with fear.

Chiron slowly stepped out of the shadows, a hulking figure. A few of the younger campers were startled at his sudden appearance and jumped off their seats. He clopped towards Percy and stood in front of him, his horse half perpendicular to Percy while he faced the camp. He rumbled, 'Enough, everyone. We must respect Mr. Jackson's decision. We cannot impede him from making his choice. You should be ashamed of yourselves.' Chiron had a hard look in his eyes. Everyone knew that this was tough on him, too. He had been a father to Percy.

Annabeth muttered weakly, 'Why, Percy?'

Percy said, 'I-I have to, Annabeth,' He smiled a weak smile, 'I couldn't live without you.' He glanced at Calypso and Rachel. 'Without any of you.'

Calypso spoke, her eyes warm and comforting, 'I am proud of you, my hero. Do what you must.'

Rachel spoke, sighing, 'Percy… I-I support your choice. Just don't do anything stupid in the Underworld, will you?' Percy laughed at her words, one last carefree laugh.

Finally, Annabeth said, 'Percy, I believe in you. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, no matter where you are, I shall always be there for you. D-Don't forget us, will you?'

Percy was touched. Nobody, except for his mother, had ever shown him such devotion. He steeled himself, as he reminded himself that this was for the greater good. 'I am ready,' He said, 'But I want to see mom one last time. Please, Chiron?'

Chiron looked into Percy's pleading eyes. The old mentor knew that seeing his mother would only make his decision harder, but he relented. 'Alright, Percy. You may contact you mother via an Iris message and explain your choice. Don't take too long, Percy. It will make your choice harder.' He warned.

Percy nodded. 'I understand, Chiron. I'll be back.' Slowly, carefully, he walked back to his cabin to make a call.

**(A/N) So, how was the new extra-long chapter everyone? I'm sorry for making Percy commit ritualistic suicide but don't forget that there is one more chapter left to go. Anything can happen! Use your imagination! But any decision I make WILL be final. I'm sorry (NOT!) But hey, cheer up.**

**And I'll probably be too busy to update for maybe another week or so, but hopefully I just might be able to post the last chapter either today or tomorrow (hopefully!) Cheers, and please review and let me know your thoughts on this long chapter! (A/N)**


	6. The Death of The Son

**(A/N) Hello again, it's TheDarkKnight reporting for duty! It has been an epic journey, my peeps, but now I'm afraid we have reached the very end! (or is it? Read the bottom A/N for more news!) D: But don't worry, I'll be uploading more stories for you guys to enjoy, I'm not leaving this fandom any time soon! And, hey, please review everyone, it means a lot to me! And finally, I want to give a shout out to the three people who have stuck with me from the beginning in giving reviews…..**

**Jilysoulmate's, thank you for your support, your reviews made me wanna go on with this story, now go have fun reading BoO :D**

**Snow Wolfe6631, thank you so much for giving consistent reviews and for the encouragement and support, you rock buddy!**

**achieving elyisum, you have help me grow as a writer via your guide and your in depth reviews of my story. I am in your debt mate! **

**On that note, the final chapter. . . BEGINS!(A/N)**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely NOTHING 'cept for the plot.**

Percy walked into his old home. Cabin Three, at last. He sighed in contentment. He looked around the airy room, gazing at his scattered Capture-The-Flag armour, the awry Minotaur Horn hung on the wall, and all of his dirty underwear strewn all over the place, including one pair of dirty shorts hanging from a bronze hippocampus. He smiled, all the memories rushing back. In his mind's eye, he could see himself, Annabeth and Grover fighting against hundreds of monsters rushing at them.

He could finally let go of all those memories now. He didn't need them anymore.

He shuffled over to the marble fountain in one corner. A subtle message and a gift from his dad. _Keep in touch with your family, Percy. _He reached into his pockets and fished out a chipped old drachma that had been lying in there since forever. Percy tossed the coin into the perpetual rainbow arcing over the fountain and silently prayed to Iris.

A small window, blurred at the edges, appeared in thin air. Percy could see his old home. Sally was sitting on the couch reading a few papers with her reading glasses perched at half-mast on her nose. She glanced up and jumped nearly a foot in the air. 'Percy, you scared me! What's the matter? Is anything wrong at camp?' She was frantic.

Percy replied calmly, 'Mom, I'm fine, okay? How are you? And who is this 'Paul' guy I've been hearing about from dad?' Percy wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Sally did not notice that her son had neatly deflected her question. She chuckled, and they talked about random stuff for a while. Percy had not felt this happy in ages. He was content.

The Iris message began to sputter and fade, prompting Percy into action. He remembered that there had been a small drachma embedded in the ceiling from when Tyson had tried to call heads or tails with him. He snatched Riptide from his dressing table and jumped on the bed, kicking off using his own momentum and the mattress's springiness towards the ceiling. He grabbed hold of the chains suspending the hippocampi and started hauling himself up towards his prize like a demented monkey wielding a sword. He dug his fingers into the hole in the roof and scrabbled for the coin.

A cool voice started counting down in robotic tones, announcing that the Iris message was about to end. 'Please insert drachma for renewed talk time. Please insert drachma. . .' it repeated over and over. 'Come on, come on, I need to tell mom right now,' Percy mumbled to himself. He let out a whoop of triumph as he grabbed the coin and flung it towards the fountain. The coin vaporised in the mist. He sighed in relief and dropped to the floor, rolling on contact with the ground and came up standing almost face-to-face with his mother. Sally was shocked, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

She knew that the camp had been teaching her son how to survive monsters but she had no idea that that regimen included parkour. 'Percy,' she said sharply, 'What was so urgent, young man, that you had to almost break your neck just to get a small coin to talk to me? Do you want to get grounded, Percy?' He stared at his mother's face and felt himself crumbling. This was why he had been so desperate to get that coin. As stupid as he might have looked, he could not afford to go around hunting for another drachma right now. He felt the need to tell her everything and found himself blurting out everything. He did not leave anything out. He finished speaking, '. . . and now I have to die. I'm sorry, mom.'

Sally Jackson stood as still as a statue. Her mind was in overdrive, thinking of ways to convince her only son to change his mind. She started rambling, telling him not to do it, but was shushed by Percy. 'Mom, I'm sorry, but it's the only way forward. I've accepted my fate, and you c-can't change m-my mind now.' His voice broke as he pleaded with his mother. Realization dawned on her as she realized that she was only making it harder for him to make his sacrifice. Her glassy and her voice hollowed, she spoke, 'Are you sure, Perce? Are you absolutely sure that there is no other way?' he replied, 'Yes, mom. I'm sure. Say hello to Paul from me, won't you?' Sally forced herself to smile. 'Yes, of course son. T-take care of yourself, won't you?' Percy smiled a genuine smile, his face glowing with warmth for his mother. 'Yeah, mom. I'll do that.'

As Sally turned away, Percy said one last thing. 'Mom? Paul is a pretty great guy. Will you marry him? For me?' Sally laughed quietly. Only this time she did not have to fake it. 'I'm pretty sure that he is going to propose to me soon, Perce. I love him. I truly love him and would like to spend the rest of my life with him.' Percy quietly grinned and pointed to a space a few feet behind her. Sally turned, puzzled. 'What's the matter, Percy-' She broke off as she realized who was standing there.

Paul Blofis was down on his knees. He held open a small velvet box and showed Sally the ring. Her face coloured as she realized that he had been standing behind her for a while now. 'Sally Jackson,' he said, 'will you make me the happiest man alive and be my companion in life and in death forever more?' Sally was stunned. She cupped her hands over mouth and said weakly, 'Oh, Paul. Yes! I love you too and I want to marry you!' She slipped on the ring and hugged Paul tightly. He stared at the empty space behind Sally, sure that he had just seen Percy wink at him.

~oOo~

Percy winked at Paul before breaking the connection. He felt happy that his plan had worked out great. Finally his mother would earn the rest she deserved.

He slipped out of the cabin and walked back towards the theatre. He smelt the salt in the air and smiled. It was a good day to die, wasn't it?

He fished Riptide out of his pocket and uncapped the end. He stared at it, mesmerized. It was a cursed blade, indeed.

As he walked into the clearing, he sensed everyone staring at him again. Chiron clopped towards him and announced, 'I assume everyone is familiar with The Great Prophecy?' Everybody looked stunned as his words sunk in. 'Today I have realized that part of the prophecy has indeed come true today. It is as follows, word for word.'

**"A half-blood of the eldest gods**

**Shall reach sixteen against all odds. . ."**

Chiron paused for effect before continuing-

**"And see the world in endless sleep,**

**The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."**

Suddenly, Percy's pen felt heavier in his pocket. He instinctively knew that these two lines applied to him. He would go to the Underworld and see the dead. He would see the world in endless sleep. _Asphodel._

**"A single choice shall end his days,**

**Olympus to preserve or raze"**

The silence blowing in the clearing was so thick and deafening that Riptide could have cut through it like melting butter. Everybody knew that the last two lines were being performed right in front of their eyes.

Chiron said, 'Now, certain lines of the prophecy apply to Mr Nico Di Angelo here,' Nico nodded gravely, his face ashen. 'However, the rest applies to the actions of Percy Jackson. Heroes, rise immediately.' Everyone rose to their feet, their faces aghast at the unfolding events. The three girls were terrified. They looked as though they were about to faint. The Apollo cabiners glanced nervously at the three. They did not want an emergency on their hands right now.

Chiron rumbled, 'Mr Jackson,' he paused, 'come here and kneel on this spot.' Percy walked over to Chiron. He felt as if he was in a daze, walking through layers of thick gelatin. He zombie walked over to his old mentor and knelt. Instinctively he uncapped Riptide and held it up on both palms, offering it to the centaur, as though he was the Queen of the England and was about to Knight Percy. Chiron took the blade and held it up high. Sunlight glinted off the blade, giving the illusion that it was constructed out of pure light. He spoke, 'Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea, Son of the Earthshaker and the Lord of All Horses, you shall now die, and die with honour. Your memory and legacy shall be untarnished for all eternity, and you shall be forever remembered as a hero who took the courageous path and died bravely at his own hands. Arise, Perseus Jackson, and cleanse yourself.'

Percy got up slowly. His mind was a blank slate of calmness and purity. He was one with the cosmos.

His tuned out the noises of the world. He focused only on the blade in front of him. Only the blade and himself existed now. Nothing else mattered.

He briefly considered living and moving on, but he was sure that the Fates would not allow him to clash with Nico, the one demigod fated to save the world alongside himself. He would not come into conflict with The Ghost King.

He allowed himself one final, smiling, accepting glance towards the girls. They were mumbling under their breath, hoping against hope that he would choose not to die.

He took the blade.

Percy knelt down on his knees. He unsheathed Riptide as his life flashed before his eyes. Playing Hacky Sack with Grover and Annabeth. Going on the 'Thrill Ride o' Love' with Annabeth. Fooling Polyphemus and recovering the Golden Fleece. Holding up the sky. Battling his way through the Labyrinth.

He looked towards the heavens and smiled, the sunlight caressing his face. He raised Riptide and brought it down in one swift move towards his abdomen.

The sickening _shick_ of the blade sliding through bone and flesh echoed throughout the amphitheatre. Percy fell towards the ground in slow motion. Time had slowed down, just for him. A cold voice laced with grudging admiration spoke in his mind. 'A few last precious moments from my side, Jackson. A parting gift for a worthy enemy.' Mentally, Percy acknowledged the gift. It was Kronos.

And he fell at last, the dust settling around his still body.

**(A/N) So there you have it, folks. The death of the greatest hero who had ever lived. *Sniff sniff***

**But hang on now! I am not so cruel as you think! I have also uploaded a. . .wait for it. . . AN EPILOGUE! Who rocks? I do! You know it, so say it, so throw your hands up and say, "YAHOOO! AN EPILOGUE! WOOT WOOT!" Read on, my friends. It's not time for good byes yet. Cheers! (A/N)**


	7. Epilogue

**(A/N) This is truly the end, my peeps. I'm sorry for writing such a short story, but I have a few reasons.**

**With really long stories, inexperienced writers such as myself tend to lose sight of the plot and put it up for adoption. Ugh.**

**I wanted to write a tightly focused and linear story and have an actual goal.**

**I simply don't have that level of skill yet.**

**This story is my first foray into this world, and I want to make the most of it. **

**I hope you guys have enjoyed reading my story. I hope you have been entertained, and not disappointed. Read on, mates. (A/N)**

~oOo~

Percy stood at the gates of Paradise. He was waiting for a certain _someone_ who had promised to return to him again. In the dark, gloomy distance, he could vaguely make out a flash of gold hair.

_Annabeth._

For the past few months, Nico had been regularly visiting him and keeping him informed of what was going on in Camp Half-Blood.

'_Everyone is devastated, Percy. The girls have been wandering around aimlessly with a hollow, deserted look in their eyes. Their sanity has been . . . crumbling for a few weeks now.'_

_Percy sat down on a chair on the front porch of his mansion, his head buried in his hands. Even in death, he had not been able to find peace._

_Nico glanced uncertainly at Percy. 'Don't worry, man. They are strong people. They are trying to . . . move on.' Percy knew that he should be glad at those words, but he felt like a discarded toy left behind in the dust._

~oOo~

Nico had been visiting him more and more often in Elysium. Percy reflected that he truly was more comfortable amongst the dead. He wasn't called the Ghost King for nothing.

'_We won the war, Percy. But the cost of victory was too high.' Percy looked up at Nico. The pale young boy was maturing fast. His long black hair now curled over his eyes. He had shot up in height and put on more muscle, undoubtedly from long hours of training._

_Percy was jealous of Nico. He had seemingly been replaced in everything by the boy. He was a natural leader now. Nico said, as though sensing his thoughts, 'Dude, these people will never forget you. No matter how long I shall live I shall never emerge from your shadow. But that's okay. It's where I belong.' Nico had said that simply, as if he really didn't care. And he didn't. _

~oOo~

Percy felt torn apart. On one hand, he was excited and really happy. On the other hand, he felt horribly depressed. Annabeth was dead. She was coming back to him. To Percy.

'_She- Annabeth -was never the same after your death, Percy,' Nico was pacing agitatedly in front of him, 'We think something snapped inside her after your death. She became suicidal. She began throwing herself into the path of every monster she could find. Cyclopes, dracanae, telkhines- she destroyed them all. But one day we found her lying on the ground near Zeus's Fist. She was bleeding heavily and was really pale. But for the first time in months she looked genuinely happy. She mumbled your name, and s-she p-passed away. S-She should be here any day now. This was immediately after our battle with Kronos. S- She was fearsome during the battle, I tell you. Any monster that came near her was torn to shreds. But I guess she was tired after the battle and was o-overwhelmed in the woods. Maybe she did it on purpose.' Nico sighed, and sat down beside Percy. He frowned, 'Why are you smiling, Percy?'_

~oOo~

Percy felt horribly guilty after that. But he felt comforted knowing that her terrible ordeal was over and they could stay together now. For eternity.

'_Rachel . . . how do I say this, Percy? Eventually, she moved on. Got married. Had kids. Took over as CEO of Dare Enterprises. At first, her father protested against her new eco-friendly agenda for the company, but he came to his senses soon enough,' Nico chuckled, 'She still works part time as our Oracle, though. She says that she isn't ready to pass on her gift yet.' _

_Percy felt happy for her. He realised that he did not want her to be moping after him forever. As much as it hurt to admit it, he had wanted her to move on._

~oOo~

Percy recalled his last talk with Nico yesterday.

'_Calypso . . . she was not ready to move on. In your memory, she vowed to become an eternal maiden, like Lady Athena and Lady Artemis.' Nico chuckled at the dumbstruck look on Percy's face. 'Yeah, she did that for you. I can tell you that pretty much all the single guys at camp were in for a massive let-down. And the non-single guys as well,' He smirked, 'Also, she has agreed to resume her duties as eternal Queen of Nymphs. She's happy now.' Percy nodded, smiling. 'Oh, and everyone sends their love to you,' Percy raised an eyebrow , 'Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Percy, but I had to tell them that I was still in touch with you. Ah well.' Nico grinned sheepishly. Percy reached up and hugged the embarrassed son of Hades. 'Thank you so much, Nico,' Percy had said, 'This means a lot to me.'_

Everyone was moving on. It was time to accept that, too.

~oOo~

Annabeth walked over to Percy, her trademark grin in place and her Yankees cap perched on her head. 'Well, Seaweed Brain?' she playfully punched his shoulder.

'Ow, Annabeth. That hurt.' Percy pretended that his arm stung where she had hit him and rubbed it, pretend-glaring at Annabeth. Looking at her after all these months . . . he felt all tingly inside as he realised that he was in love her_. He. Was. In. Love. With. Annabeth_. He hugged her tightly, and whispered in her ears, 'I love you, Wise Girl.'

She replied, smiling softly,rubbing his back, 'Same here, Seaweed Brain. Same here.' Percy held up her hands to his lips and said, 'Annabeth, I've had a lot of time to think.' She replied, 'And?'

'I've finally figured out, Annabeth, that I l-love you the best. You were always the one, Wise Girl. Always.'

Annabeth tossed back her head and laughed. 'What? I just told you that I like you the best and you laugh at me? When will you make this sort of thing easy for me, Wise Girl?'

She replied, flinging her arms around his neck, speaking softly, 'I am never, ever gonna make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Deal with it.' And she kissed him hard, a moment she wished would last forever. She could taste the salt on his lips, and she liked how hard he held her to him, possessively. She finally felt blissfully happy, free from the pain of the mortal world. She was content.

Suddenly, Percy broke free and grabbed her hand. 'Let's go, Annabeth, I have so much to show you around here,' His eyes were shining, 'You are gonna love this place. Come on!' She let Percy drag her into an architect's paradise, the two soulmates finally together for eternity in the fields of Elysium.

As Percy wandered the place with Annabeth, he reflected on the last two lines of the Great Prophecy.

**"_A single choice shall end his days,_**

**_Olympus to preserve or raze"_**

As he stared hard at Annabeth, who was blushing from the intensity of his gaze, he thought of how he had made the best choice possible. The very best choice there was in the whole wide world.

**(A/N) So that's it, fellas. Do y'all forgive me for Percy's death? Is it safe for me to come out of hiding now? Ahhhhhh thank Zeus. Anyways, I want to thank all of you for your support. It is 'cause of y'all that I have written this fic in the first place. Please review and be on the lookout for my upcoming stories! TheDarkKnight over and out! (A/N)**


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